Embossed steel-veneered panel and process of making the same



Jall- 21', 1930. l. R. swANsoN EMBOSSED STEEL VENEERED PANEL AND PROCESS OF MAKING" THE SAME Filed June 29. 1927 l Inf/72257- vw*" 475/571? 53m/25022 @y 127W XW Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATE-s PATENT' OFFICE IVAR R. SWANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T MIET-LWOOD CORIORATION,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS EMBOSSED STEEL-,VENEERED PANEL. AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME This invention relates 'to improvements in embossed steel veneered of making the same. u v An object of the invention is to produce an article of manufacture comprising a companels and process posite panel, made up'of a body portion of.

` fibrous material with an outer metallic veneer, between which is interposed a layer of fabric of a character having a nap or pile, and wherein themetallic veneer is stamped or. embossed to simulate tiling or other lornamentation, said layer of fabric the metallic veneer, and the body portion being rigidly secured together by bonding material such as glue, and the embossments formed in the steel veneer being imbedded within the body portionof .the panel to form the complete constructiol Another object of the invention is to rovide a'process .of making a panel of the c a-racter referred to wherein a fabric sheet having a pile or nap is placed upon a flat body portion, and the steel sheet or veneer is placed on top of the fabric, the fabric being glued to the body portion and to the metallic veneer, and the panel then subjected to suitable dies which, under pressure, bear thereon and form embossments inthe metallic veneer which are imbedded into the body portion o the panel, so that the metallic veneer and body portion of the panel are permanently bonded together and the outer steel surface, forming a unitary art of the panel presents a surface simu ating tiling.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a fragmentary, sectional view through the body portion of the panel, and through the fabric sheet or layer, and the metallic veneer, the view illustrating the fabric and steel veneer in position to be secured together. Figure 2 shows a frag# mentary, vertical, sectional view of a panel with the various component parts thereof in assembled relation. Figure 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of a anel similar to that, shown in Figure 2, eing stamped to form aneembossment'in the metallic veneer. Figure 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view showing the panel after the embossments have been formed in Application mea :une 2e,

1927. Serial No. 202,173.

Referring more particularly to Figures 4, 5`

and 6 of the drawings, there is shown a composite panelmade up of a plurality of fibrous layers l() and 11, glued together and form-` lng what is commonly known in the trade as ply-wood. Disposed upon the outer surface of the layer 11 is a layer 12 of fabric, preferably one with a pile or nap such as flannel, and disposed upon the outer surface of the fabric layer or sheet 12 is a metallic veneer made up of sheet steel, the metallic veneer 13, the fabric 12 and the layers 10 and 11 of the ply-wood being permanently secured together by means of glue placed on opposite sides of the fabric and the adjacent surfaces of the steel veneer and ply-wood layers. The outer surface of the steel veneer 13 is provided with a plurality ,of intersecting embossments 14 formed therein by a suitable die under pressure, to represent squares in relief, the latter simulating a pluu rality of tiles 15-15. vEach embossment 14 is depressed with reference to the external surfaces of the tile sections 15 as best shown in Figure 6, and vis'imbedded in the body portion ofthe panel and particularly in the fabric layer 12. As before stated, the fabric layer 12? is preferably of flannel, such material being more or less loosely woven and the surface bers constituting the pile being y free, and the' body of the fabric is 'well adapted to yield or stretchv when there is relative movement between the body portion consisting of the layers 1() and 11 of the plywood, and the steel veneer 13, this property of .the fabric being peculiarly eflicacious in compensatingfor the different rates of expension and contraction of the ply-wood and metallic veneerand'further, permits the formation of the embossments in the metallic veneer without danger of severing the bond between the ply-woodfabric and veneer, and

also provides a .somewhat iiexible layer permitting of the embossments being imbedded therein when the same are formed in accordance with the process now to be described.

The process of making the composite panel consists in providing ply-wood layers 10 and shown in Figure 1, the parts'then being assembled by pressing the same to ether as most clearly shown 1n Figure 2. hen the ply-wood layers formingthe bod portion of the panel, the fabric 12, and t e veneer 13, are assembled as shown in Figure 2, the same are placed upon a suitable support, and a die 16 brou ht into contact with the veneer 13, and the die sub'ected to pressure causing the ribs 17 thereo to indent or emboss the outer surface of the veneer 13 in the manner shown in Figure 3, thereby producing they completed article as shown in Figures 4 and 5. As contemplated .by the invention, it is ossible to emboss the veneer 13 prior to drylng out ofthe glue between the body portion as represented by the two layers 10 and 11 of the ply-wood, the fabric 12, and veneer 1.3, by ap lying pressure to the die, and if desired, tgis pressure might be maintained a sufficient length of time to permit drying out of the glue while the panel is under pressure2 thereby simultaneously effecting embossmg of the steel veneer and also bonding the various arts of the I panel together under maintaine ressure. owever, in actual practice, it is esired to rst assemble the various parts ofthe panel in the manner disclosed in Figure 2, subjecting. the same to maintained pressure over the desired length of time to permit the bonding material to dry while the parts are held under pressure, and afterwards the panel may be subjected to the action'of the die in forming the corrugations or embossments in the metallic veneer 13 of the panel. In either event, it is pointed out that due to the presence of the fabric layer 12 with the peculiar advantages which flow from the presence of the nap or pile thereon, a relatively yieldable substance is provided which permits the formation of the corru ations or embossments without any danger o serving the bond between the metallic sheet 13, and the fabric and body portion of the panel. If desired the corrugations or embossments 14 might be made deeper than illustrated and in this event the embossments, in addition to being imbedded in the fabric 12, will also be slightly imbedded into the body portion as made up 'by the layers 10 andY 11 of the ply-wood.

While I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications-that come within thlle sope of the claims appended hereto.

1. In a process of making composite panstance uniformly between the entire broady surfaces thereof, and subsequently simultaneously formin intersecting embossments in said steel sheet die-pressing the metal substantially at rig t. angles to the main plane of the metal, to depress the metal below the surface of said steel'sheet and into the fabric, while the steel sheet is in permanently bonded relation with reference to said fabric sheet and said body portion,l said embossments defining figures in relief upon the exposed metal surface of the steel sheet between said embossments, simulating tiling the pile or nap of said fabric compensating for movement of the metal with reference to the body portion during the pressing operation and preventing severance of the ermanent bond between the steel sheet, the abric sheet, and the body portion.

2. As an article of manufacture, a thin composite panel of large area comprising a pluralit of laminations of metal lncluding a wood body portion and an loutside layer of sheet steel of a size to cover the broad surface of said body portion, there bein a layer of fabric having a pile or nap exten g' continuously between said body ortion and steel sheet, adhesive being vuni orml provided throughout the entire extents o the broad surfaces of said body portion, fabric layer -figures in relief simulating tiling.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of June, 1927.

i IVAR R. SW'ANSON.- 

